Majority of Americans Favor 60 MPG CAFE standards; Automakers Not Keen

Technology • May 2011 • Views: 818

62 percent of Americans support an increase in the average fuel economy mandate in the U.S. to 60 miles per gallon by 2025, which is similar to levels being discussed in DC. This gets strong, bi-partisan support according to the survey released by the Consumer Federation of America, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation under commission. The current CAFE rules, announced in April 2010, require 35 mpg by 2016.

Automakers, predictably, aren’t keen on the idea. They worry about how to get to even 40+ mpg for their fleets, let alone the 60 mpg level. They also worry about safety and jobs.

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8 comments

jc717 Wed, May 18, 2011 2:02:07pm

I wonder how many of those 62% believe that the automakers are part of a conspiracy to suppress super carburetors or other magical gizmos. 60 mpg is pretty damn high.

I want my 300+ HP; can't get that out of internal combustion and still get 60 mpg.

freetoken Wed, May 18, 2011 3:10:43pm

The problem with asking Americans about CAFE standards is that most people have no anchoring in why their auto gets the gasoline mileage it has in any given situation.

60 mpg is easily doable - if one wants an ultralight vehicle. But, when I look around me people appear to love to drive 2 ton monsters. There is the disconnect.

WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.] Wed, May 18, 2011 5:00:54pm

re: #2 freetoken

you can get a diesel hybrid to 60 mpg, if it's around 3000 lbs. which is by no means ultra-light, a Golf TDI Hybrid weighs over 3000 lbs: [Link: green.autoblog.com...]

...but much more weight than that (looking at you, bloated-ass Toyota Camry and Honda Accord) and it's not going to happen

problem is automakers like subsidizing their small cars by selling SUVs, which are nice tasty margins and don't need to be engineered the way a small car does

freetoken Wed, May 18, 2011 7:25:18pm

re: #3 WindUpBird

Turbo diesel + electric hybrids are kind of exotic, especially for the American market.

I was thinking more of a gasoline 4-banger. When I was in Japan I was amazed not just by the assortment of small (box) vehicles, but at how inexpensively the smallest but still name brand (Honda, Toyota, Nissan) vehicles were priced. Much more affordable than cars here in the US, use very little gasoline, and ideal to use in order to maneuver around town.

lawhawk Wed, May 18, 2011 7:38:37pm

It's all about tradeoffs. Horsepower vs. mileage. Americans love their hp, and the more the better. When automakers decide what features to tout, invariably, it's all about the hp increases over the prior model year - and in many cases, the hp is higher but gas mileage remains about even with the prior year.

Take a slight hit on the hp, and you can see an increase in mpg. Lose weight and you can gain mpg. Get more areodynamic, increase mpg.

Heck, we could do a whole lot more by getting the trucking industry to take aerodynamics seriously - there's a whole lot of room to improve by improving aerodynamics on the trailers using fairings and other simple techniques that would more than pay for themselves over the long term.

WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.] Wed, May 18, 2011 9:05:27pm

re: #4 freetoken

Turbo diesel + electric hybrids are kind of exotic, especially for the American market.

I was thinking more of a gasoline 4-banger. When I was in Japan I was amazed not just by the assortment of small (box) vehicles, but at how inexpensively the smallest but still name brand (Honda, Toyota, Nissan) vehicles were priced. Much more affordable than cars here in the US, use very little gasoline, and ideal to use in order to maneuver around town.

Eventually people will be compelled to drive smaller cars when gas goes up and doesn't come down

WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.] Wed, May 18, 2011 9:08:47pm

re: #5 lawhawk

It's all about tradeoffs. Horsepower vs. mileage. Americans love their hp, and the more the better. When automakers decide what features to tout, invariably, it's all about the hp increases over the prior model year - and in many cases, the hp is higher but gas mileage remains about even with the prior year.

Take a slight hit on the hp, and you can see an increase in mpg. Lose weight and you can gain mpg. Get more areodynamic, increase mpg.

Heck, we could do a whole lot more by getting the trucking industry to take aerodynamics seriously - there's a whole lot of room to improve by improving aerodynamics on the trailers using fairings and other simple techniques that would more than pay for themselves over the long term.

you're forgetting other tradeoffs: curb weight and torque. Safety concerns and luxury concerns make our cars heavier, and the arms race of heavier vehicles makes it more critical to have heavier vehicles in response.

google the MPG of the CRX HX, a car that had mighty Prius-esque gas mileage decades ago, it just happened to be a small, light car. We're culturally indoctrinated to believe bigger and higher is better, and that's eventually going to have to change.

WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.] Wed, May 18, 2011 9:11:23pm

re: #5 lawhawk

oops missed your second paragraph durr *_*

but anyway, my solution is the easy one, make cars lighter, if the average commuter vehicle were 2200 lbs, mileage is cake.

But then we'll have to change our safety standards and accept that we can't have 10 airbags and massive crossbeams and ultra-stiff chassis

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